Regional symbols

According the Act. Nr. 129/2000 Kraje (Krajs - Regions) have the right
to their own symbols. On the other hand, the Okresy (District), which shall
be dissolved in 2002 are not selfgoverning entities, so they do not have
this right!
Aleš Křižan, 4 Dec 2000

Moravian-Silesian Region - symbols not yet approved
by regional assembly (the proposal preferred by regional council nor any
other of 10 proposals got majority of voices)

Jan Zrzavy, 28 Dec 2001

Yesterday, four flags of the Czech regions (Central Bohemian, South
Bohemian, Zlín, and Hradec Králové) were officially granted by Vaclav Klaus,
the chairman of the House of Representatives of the Parliament, to th regional
hejtmans. They are identical to those included in FOTW.

At present, the symbols of Central Bohemian, Hradec Králové, Karlovy
Vary, Liberec, Olomouc, Pardubice, South Bohemian, and Zlín Regions are
officially in use; symbols of two more regions (Plzeň and Vysočina regions)
were approved and are to be included into the next decreěs).
Jan Zrzavy, 22 Jan 2002

Yesterday, one new regional flag, that of the Plzeň Region, has been
formally granted. Consequently, the flags of Central Bohemian, Hradec Králové,
Karlovy Vary, Liberec, Olomouc, Pardubice, Plzeň, South Bohemian, and Zlín
Regions are officially
in use; that of Vysočina is waiting to be formally granted.
Jan Zrzavy, 26 Feb 2002

RA = approved by regional assembly,
PSC = discussed by parliamentary subcommittee (an advisory body of
the chairman of the House of Representatives),
PD = parliamentary decree (official granting the flag).
The date of the ceremony of granting the flag to the region's hejtman
is irrelevant from the vexillological (and legal) point of view.

I received from Petr Exner, member of that Heraldic Sub-Comitee
of the Czech parliament, an answer to my question:
"The Coat of Arms and flags of the Czech regions has the same pattern. Resolution
of the Parliamentary Committee for Science, Education, Culture, Youth and
Sport No. 198 (8.11.2000) on the pattern of regional symbols approved a
decision of
Subcommittee for Heraldry and Vexillology. In those decision is written:

The Coat of Arms is quartered.
In the first quarter is the historical Coat of Arms of Land where mostly region
is situated.
In the second quarter is Coat of Arms or key derivate of Coat of Arms of the region's
capital.
The third quarter expressed recent or traditional identity of region.
In the fourth quarter is the historical Coat of Arms of Land where the rest
of region is situated.
The flag of the region is heraldic one.
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is exception (because the
Coat of Arms and flag are historical).

The reason of this decision is, that the Coat of Arms and flags of the regions
must be simply distinguishable from those of cities and village symbols.
There are only a few quartered municipals flags and no one used historical
land's Coat of Arms. In the future will be approved no municipal symbols, which
can be similar to regions one. The second reason is, that the symbols of
regions would be pretentiously that municipal symbols.

In the case of esthetical reasons or adhering of the heraldical and
vexillological rules may be the order of fields changed (e.g. symbols of
the Olomoucký kraj)."
Pascal Vagnat, 30 Jan 2003